Jaguar is known and loved around the world for two things: its cosseting luxury cars and its beautiful sports cars. The E-type may get all of the press today for its golden anniversary, but the SS Jaguar roadster was where the marque’s sporting line originated.

Jaguar celebrated its 75th anniversary during last year’s New York International Auto Show, and they had a privately owned, beautiful 1937 100 3.5 on display. This was one of the first overhead-valve engine cars that SS Cars would build with the new Jaguar nameplate that would, after World War II, become the company’s official name. Following the inline-six-powered, 90 MPH-capable SS 90 of 1935 was the nearly-100-MPH-capable SS Jaguar 100, which was built in 2.5-liter (191 examples) and 3.5-liter (117 examples, plus one Coupe) displacements between 1935 and 1940.

Here we have a later model, a 1939 SS Jaguar 100, for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description:

This car was originally delivered to South Africa in 1938. The second owner acquired the car right after WWII where it was rallied and entered into other local racing venues in South Africa until the early 1950s. The third owner received the car in 1980 with an original engine that had thrown a rod. He had the car rebuilt completely and replaced the engine with a correct 3.5 litre engine. The fourth owner took possession in 1984, and it was taken to New Zealand in 1986. The car was then exported to Terry Larson, who is a famous expert on Early and Racing Jaguars. The car underwent an extensive restoration by Mr. Larson and then was sold to the fifth owner in Nevada in the 1990s. From there it went to the Prisma Collection in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1994. In 2000, the car was sold to its present owner in Texas.

The restoration has held up extremely well and the car is still in outstanding condition. In the last 10 years it has only gone to shows or concours events in Texas. In 2011 the car had a major tuneup and detail performed. The car is ready for sale.

5 Responses to “Hemmings Find of the Day – 1939 SS Jaguar 100”

Your second line in the second paragraph is incorrect. The SS 100 was not a overhead cam but an overhead valve engine.
It was the first OHV engine from SS cars later to be Jaguar cars.
Thsi too was actually a Standard side valve 6 cylinder power plat which was fitted with an OHV conversion by Weslake

Greetings All,
The “hybrid ohv” design utilizing the flathead block was several years previous.
This engine was produced from the toolng that had been purchased rom SirJohn Black of Standard.
The head was designed by Harry Weslake.
The fact that the “hybrid ohv” shows up in the parts manual a a kit has always interested me.
Clearly there were “teething” problems getting the ohv to production.
It’s always seemed odd that the SS90, (only 23 produced). was introduced with an engine that wasn’t exactly known for stunning performance.
SO…….This means that SS introduced a new sporting body with an obsoleted powerplant, especially odd as SS had been savaged in the motoring press for making a car, the SS1 , that looked faster than it really was.
Possibly the new ohv engine was originally intended for the new SS model?

The Jag SS-100 has always been one of my all time favourite cars. MG was clearly inspired by this model. I am intrigued by the one-only coupe that was produced. Anybody got a photo?
With the outbreak of war and the march of the Nazis, Swallow Sidecars was quick to drop the “SS” moniker and it’s unfortunate connotations and I wonder if, at the time, they also lamented the front end similarity between the SS-100 and the Mercedes SSK! This is a lovely, lovely car and I just love those well endowed dashboards of the period. Although perhaps the designers didn’t give too much attention to the fact that humans have legs when they penciled out the interior!
“Call for price” is always a worry and is in the same league as “if you have to ask then you can’t afford it”. This dealer’s yellow ’66 Cobra looks luscious too (482 cubes and 605 gee-gees!!), although it’s a replica but then beggars can’t be choosers! Even the ’53 XK-120 would do me but I could probably only afford his ’64 VeeDub! And even that is a bit pricey.